1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of communications, and in particular, to the controlled removal of a packet communication system from a communication path during a communication session.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Time Division Multiplex (TDM) systems have been used for many years to establish communication paths between users. More recently, packet communication systems have also been used to establish communication paths between users. In many cases, the users are connected to separate TDM systems, and the separate TDM systems are connected by a packet communication system. Thus, the communication path between two users extends from the first user through a first TDM system to the packet system, and from the packet system through a second TDM system to the second user.
Communication service platforms provide various services to the users, such as operator assistance and voice recognition. To provide the service, a communication path is established from the user to the service platform. In many cases, the service platform then extends the communication path to another user. For example, a first user initiates a communication path to an operator assistance platform, and after providing operator assistance, the platform extends the communication path to a second user.
In many scenarios, the service platform is used to establish the communication path between users, but the platform is no longer used after the communication path has been established. For example, the operator assistance platform is used to establish the communication path between users, but the platform is typically not used after this communication path has been established.
To free-up the service platform for other users, the portion of the communication path that passes through the service platform is released during the communication session. In TDM systems, a single TDM node extends the communication path from the first user to the service platform, and the same TDM node also extends the communication path from the service platform to the second user. When the service platform is finished providing the service, the platform signals the single TDM node, and the single TDM node eliminates the portion of the communication path to and from the service platform.
Unfortunately, the above technique for removing the service node from the communication path is ineffective where a packet network connects separate TDM systems, because the communication path to and from the service node does not pass through the same TDM node. For example, the communication path from a first user extends through a first TDM node and a packet system to a service platform. The communication path then extends from the service platform through the packet system and a second TDM node to a second user. Since the communication path does not pass through the same TDM node both to and from the service platform, neither the first TDM node nor the second TDM node can effectively remove the service platform from the communication path.